Aeroplane



" G. w. RAY

AEROPLANE Match 26, 1929.

Filed Dec. 14, 1-927 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Georye Attorney AEROPLANE Filed Dec. 14, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheget 2 WW9. Z

Inventor Georqe Pfflay Airomg;

March 26,1929.

G.'W. RAY KEROPLANE Filed Dec. 14, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 gwm Geo rqe Ray Amrngy Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BAY, OF FORTYFOR'F, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO M ARIKA. YOUSSOU- IPOVNA, OF KINGSTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

AEROPLANE.

Application filed December 14, 1927. 'Serial No. 239,945.

The present invention relates generally to an aeroplane and more particularly to the means of propulsion thereof and has for its prime object to provide an improvement over the construction shown in my application Serial No. 173,944; filed March 9, 1927, which has eventuated into Patent No. 1,671,164 issued May 29, 1928.

Another important object of the'invenlion resides in the provision of an improved combined propelling and lift structure which is automatic in .its operation to maintain the blades thereof at the proper angle of incidence and to cause the blades to automatically close for forming a parachute like structure should the aeroplane tend to fall.

A still further very important object of the invention resides in the provision of a lifting and propelling mechanism comprising a hub portion with a plurality of blades radiating therefrom, said blades being mounted on shafts radiating from the hub so as to be rockable on said shaft and having adjacent edges capable of overlapping and the provision of governor ailerons on the blades to maintain them in a closed positionwhen an aeroplane is falling and to hold themcat the proper angle of incidence when the device is rotating for lifting and propulsion purposes.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figurel is a side elevation of an aeroplane emobdying the features of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the lift and propelling structure,

Figure Bis a sectional view taken longitudinally through one of the blades,

Figure 4 'is an enlarged detail section showing the means for mounting the ends of the blade shaft,

Figure 5 is an end elevation of oneof the blades. v

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a fusilage structure having a vertical shaft 6 rising therefrom and operatively connected as at 7 with suitable prime movers 8. A universal joint 9 connects theshaft 6 with a shaft 10.

radiate outwardly therefrom. of sleeves 18 receive the outer ends of the Hangers 11 rise from the fusilage 5 and are pivotally engaged as at 12 on the shaft 10 for the purpose of allowing the shaft 10 to rock in a single plane so that when the combined lift and propelling device A on the shaft 10 is in operation the shaft may be tilted in respect to the fusilage 5 thus allowing the aeroplane to,,asccnd or descend as desired and to move forwardly at a desired speed. Suitable rudders or guiding structures are disclosed at 14.

The important improved structure resides in the device A and particular attention is directed thereto. The numeral 15 denotes a hub having a plurality of radially disposed sleeves 16. A plurality of shafts 17 have their inner ends fixed in the sleeves 16 and A plurality shaft 17 and are connected together by tie rods 19 to form the perimeter of the device. These sleeves are further braccd' and sup ported by guide wires 20 attached thereto and attached to collars 21 and 22 secured on the shaft 10 an equal distance from the hub 15. On each shaft 17 there is rockably mounted a blade 23 which tapers longitudinally and inwardly, the shaft 17 being extended along the medial line thereof and held to the blade by means of a plurality of transverse bearing straps 24:. An aileron stabilizer 25 is rigidly mounted on the outer end of each blade at one corner thereof by means of suitable brackets 26. This stabl- 'lizer 25 is disposed in a plane at. an acute rods 19 as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The areas of the stabilizers are substantially smaller than the areas of the blade.

When the device A is rotating in a counter clockwise direetion as indicated by the arrow in Figure 2 the stabilizers will rock the blades so that their overlapping edges will rise upwardly so that the blades will take the proper angle of incidence as is clearly shown i will cause the closing of the blades so that Gil the device will function as a parachute. When the stabilizers 25 are properly adjusted angularly in respect to the blades it will be seen that the device is entirely automatic needing no further attention on the part of the operator or no further adjustment.

It is thought that the construction, operation, utility and advantages of these improvements will now be clearly understood by those skilled in this art without a more detailed description thereof. The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in ,,detail merely by way of example since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description. It will be apparent that changes inthe details of construction, and in the combmatlon and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its ad- 1 vantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a hub, a pluralit of blades radiating from the hub and roe able on axes longitudinally disposed in respect to the blades and radial in respect to the hub, and stabilizers on the outer corners of the blades one on each blade, at an angle thereto, for maintaining the blades at proper angles of incidence when the device is rotatin and to close the blade when the device is alling.

2. In a device of the class described, a hub, a plurality of shafts, means for mounting the shaft in the hub to radiate outwardly therefrom, blades, means for fixin the longitudinal median lines of the bla es to the shaft, sleeves for the outer ends of the shaft, means for supporting the sleeves, said blades overlapping one another, aileron stabilizers one for each blade at the outer corners thereof, means for supporting the stabilizers on the blade at oblique angles thereto to diverge outwardly and upwardly therefrom at a proper angle to cause the blades to be swun to the proper angles of incidence during the rotation of the device and to cause the blades to close during the falling of the device.

3. In a device of the class described, a hub, a plurality of shafts, means for mounting the shafts in thehub to radiate outwardly therefrom, blades, means for rockably mounting the longitudinal median lines of the blades to the shafts, sleeves for the outer endsof the shaft, means for supporting the sleeves, said blades overlapping one another, aileron stabilizers one for each blade at the outer corners thereof, means for supporting the stabilizers on the blade at oblique angles thereto to diverge outwardly and upwardly therefrom at a proper angle to cause the blades to be swung to the proper angles of incidence during the rotation of the device and to cause the blades to close durin the falling of the device, said stabilizers Eeing located beyond the periphery of the device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE W. RAY. 

